The quiet street where the Fourneys now live is a big change from the sounds of gunshots that used to keep the kids up at night — and fearful. Now that they have plenty of space, the children are discovering their strengths and, maybe more importantly, their passions. Art, math, reading. What’s more, the family is finding things vital to building a better life: health, optimism, stability.

These are the opportunities that follow when a family partners with Habitat to build or improve a place to call home. We know that safe and decent shelter is absolutely critical to creating a cycle of possibilities and progress. The Fourneys are living proof, and I’ve met so many more like them in my more than 10 years with Habitat.

Shelter empowers parents, and every single child deserves to feel that strength and stability day after day. That’s what we envision when we talk about a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Eight-year-old Kevin Ksor knows how important a good roof can be. Kevin once lived with 16 other relatives in a three-bedroom rental. When it rained, he remembers putting bowls out to catch the water that leaked into the living room.